Act
statutory plan passed by Congress or any legislature which is a bill until
enacted and becomes law 2) (v.) a court offering a decision or ruling on a
motion or petition
Act Of God
unpreventable natural catastrophe, such as; an earthquake, tidal wave, volcanic
eruption, hurricane, or tornado; an act of God is determined on two grounds: 1)
the extent of damage and chaos they wreak 2) the impingement on established
contracts, which often state that "acts of God" are admissible excuses for delay
or failure to fulfill a commitment; many insurance policies exempt coverage for
damage caused by acts of God.
Action
A lawsuit in which one party (or parties) sue(s) another.
Actionable
When enough facts or circumstances exist to meet the legal requirements to file
a legitimate lawsuit; if the facts required to prove a case cannot be alleged in
the complaint, the case is not "actionable" and the client and his/her attorney
should not file a suit; whether many cases are actionable is a matter of
judgment and interpretation of the facts and law; if a case is filed which is
clearly not actionable, it may result in a lawsuit against the filer of the
original suit for malicious prosecution by the defendant after he/she has won
the original suit.
Actual Controversy
A true legal dispute which leads to a genuine lawsuit rather than merely a
"cooked up" legal action filed to get a court to give the equivalent of an
advisory opinion.
Actual Notice
Having been informed directly of something or having seen it occur, as
distinguished from constructive notice.
Ad Hoc
From Latin, meaning "for this purpose only;" thus, an ad hoc committee is formed
to serve a specific purpose; an ad hoc attorney is hired to handle one problem
and often is a specialist in a particular area.
Ad Litem
From Latin, "for the purposes of the legal action only;" most often the term
that applies to a parent who files a lawsuit for his or her minor child as
"guardian at litem" (guardian just for the purposes of legal action, or a
lawsuit)
Ad Seriatim
Latin for "one after another"
Ad Valorem
Latin for "based on value," which generally applies to property taxes based on a
percentage of the county's assessment of the property's value.